Questions and advice about eye dominance

ToolAA · Mar 29, 2017

I have been shooting rifle with the scope and sights in from the right eye without any problems. Last weekend I attended Trevors intro to defensive pistol class and I felt like couldn't hit the dirt if I had aimed for it.

At home this past week I started to pay close attention to how I was using the sights and I realized for pistol I was closing my left eye to sight. I did the several eye dominance test at home and started thinking that maybe I'm not right eye dominant.

So I'm at the eye doctor today just getting a regular exam and I told her what was happening during the shoot so she checked and said I'm left eye dominant, even though I'm right handed.

So now I have no idea how to change stance when shooting pistol. I'm hoping that others here can offer some advice.

DC-W · Mar 29, 2017

ToolAA said:
I have been shooting rifle with the scope and sights in from the right eye without any problems. Last weekend I attended Trevors intro to defensive pistol class and I felt like couldn't hit the dirt if I had aimed for it.

At home this past week I started to pay close attention to how I was using the sights and I realized for pistol I was closing my left eye to sight. I did the several eye dominance test at home and started thinking that maybe I'm not right eye dominant.

So I'm at the eye doctor today just getting a regular exam and I told her what was happening during the shoot so she checked and said I'm left eye dominant, even though I'm right handed.

So now I have no idea how to change stance when shooting pistol. I'm hoping that others here can offer some advice.

Always good to talk to another cross-eye dominant shooter. We're a minority for sure.

I simply moved the gun over so the sights align with my left eye, tilting my head slightly. Didn't change my grip or stance otherwise. Both eyes are kept open.
Takes some getting used to, but can be practiced at home without ammunition.

When shooting rifle or shotgun, I still use my right eye.

jrwhitt · Mar 29, 2017

I'm Right Handed and Left Eye Dominant.

I shoot pistol right handed just moving to sight with my left eye. I shoot long guns Left Handed and again sight with the left eye.
It becomes totally subconcious after a while.

If I can answer any further questions let me know.

Sealion · Mar 29, 2017

Just confirming DC-W's and jrwhitt's comments, I have the same exact experience. With some experimentation, I went with right hand for hand guns, close right eye and shift sights after to my left eye. For long guns. I shoot with my left hand. From what I read and learned this works best for me. If it it's a younger shooter, you may want to go left hand for the hand gun as they have more time to adapt. I was too old for that. Good luck.

BTW: I'm looking to get in that class as well. I've heard good things.

lx1x · Mar 29, 2017

Pistol is easier IMHO for cross eye dominant. Just slide over your hold couple inches toward your dominant eye. (That is if you shoot with non dominant eye closed)

Edit: practically what DC said.

kenpo333 · Mar 29, 2017

I like using the isosecles stance for pistol shooting with cross eye dominance.

BradMacc82 · Mar 29, 2017

For handguns, it's easier for me to just go both eyes open - or switch it up and just go southpaw (joys of being ambidextrous).

Rifles/shotguns, predominantly left-hand/eye - but can go non-dom. side if needed.

StickShaker · Mar 29, 2017

Like everyone else mentioned. I'm left handed left eye dominant but recently started devoting dry fire and shooting time right handed. The shift is so slight I don't even think about it. I try to keep both eyes open but sometimes have to squint the right eye slightly.

ToolAA · Mar 29, 2017

Thanks all. I was really struggling probably for more reasons than just eye dominance but looking forward to training myself to shoot left eyed.

Sealion said:
Just confirming DC-W's and jrwhitt's comments.
BTW: I'm looking to get in that class as well. I've heard good things.

Sealion. Do it. Trevor has a good class and tons of energy. His excitement rubs off on you in the class. I liked it so much im thinking about doing some Kharma giveaway for his upcoming june class.

photoracer · Mar 29, 2017

ToolAA said:
I have been shooting rifle with the scope and sights in from the right eye without any problems. Last weekend I attended Trevors intro to defensive pistol class and I felt like couldn't hit the dirt if I had aimed for it.

At home this past week I started to pay close attention to how I was using the sights and I realized for pistol I was closing my left eye to sight. I did the several eye dominance test at home and started thinking that maybe I'm not right eye dominant.

So I'm at the eye doctor today just getting a regular exam and I told her what was happening during the shoot so she checked and said I'm left eye dominant, even though I'm right handed.

So now I have no idea how to change stance when shooting pistol. I'm hoping that others here can offer some advice.

You have come to the right place. I shot LH for 40 years but during that time I found I was RE dominant but just made adjustments. My dad was the same and in his case with rifle and shotgun he shot them RH which is what he taught me. Fast forward to 2011 and I found myself starting to get a little arthritis in the left hand. I had been shooting IDPA where you often have to shoot weak hand also. So that spring I decided to go cold turkey RH shooting. Less than 6 months later I was shooting even better than I did before LH. I found out a number of Olympic shooters switched to their dominant side and all said they got better. That doesn't mean you can't shoot cross dominant but it requires a quirk in your brain that allows you to fool yourself into thinking the other eye is dominant. Not many can do that. Otherwise you do what I did which was tilt your head slightly to line up your dominant eye with your non-dominant hand. Even still I found that using my correct eye allowed my target vision to improve especially for speed shooting.
Either way you need to make sure you shoot both eyes open with the pistol. I shoot both eyes open with the rifle also if using a red dot. In fact when I was still shooting 3-gun I shot both eyes open whenever my scope was set to the lowest power. It allows your brain to see coming targets that are outside the FOV of your scope. From talking to other 3-gunners I have found that is an uncommon skill.

photoracer · Mar 29, 2017

So do a lot of dry-fire practice focusing sometimes on your sights and sometimes on your target. It helps your brain learn which of the out of focus objects is the correct one. The hardest thing for me to learn was drawing from the right side fast. Took a lot of work especially with Robby Orent.
It was easier for me because I was using my dominant eye even when I was using the wrong hand, and because I shot long guns right handed. I switched from left to right in golf in 1965 and with the bow in 1975. I was a scratch bowler for 30 years LH and never switched but I did learn to bowl RH so I could teach both sides. But I don't consider myself ambidextrous although most people who know me think I am.

ToolAA · Mar 29, 2017

photoracer said:
So that spring I decided to go cold turkey RH shooting. Less than 6 months later I was shooting even better than I did before LH.

I thought about trying this, but I had a work accident about 10ago and had to have my left Index finger amputated. My left middle finger, ie trigger finger, has developed good strength over the years to compensate but I had a few pins in there so it's stiff sometimes. I've even shot left handed just for practice. However my grip geometry is off and I trigger pulls jerk hard left.

Im heading down to the man cave in about 30min to holster up and practice drawing to the left eye.

I'm planning on shooting at club pistol shoot this Saturday at AGC. We'll see what happens there as well.

The pressure of timed shooting really exposed my issue which was never apparent before just target shooting with no time limit. I'm hoping this will be easy to overcome with practice.

mopar92 · Mar 29, 2017

ToolAA said:
I thought about trying this, but I had a work accident about 10ago and had to have my left Index finger amputated. My left middle finger, ie trigger finger, has developed good strength over the years to compensate but I had a few pins in there so it's stiff sometimes. I've even shot left handed just for practice. However my grip geometry is off and I trigger pulls jerk hard left.

Im heading down to the man cave in about 30min to holster up and practice drawing to the left eye.

I'm planning on shooting at club pistol shoot this Saturday at AGC. We'll see what happens there as well.

The pressure of timed shooting really exposed my issue which was never apparent before just target shooting with no time limit. I'm hoping this will be easy to overcome with practice.

Your eyes are about 2-2 1/2" apart. Whichever ones more dominant just scooch the pistol over that way. Both eyes open is bestest but you can invest in some painters tape to force your brain to hwnd control over to the non dominant eye. Keep using your right hand. Should take all of 5 minutes to get the muscle memory jump started.

davsco · Mar 29, 2017

jrwhitt said:
I'm Right Handed and Left Eye Dominant.

I shoot pistol right handed just moving to sight with my left eye. I shoot long guns Left Handed and again sight with the left eye.
.

holy crap, my long lost brother!!

i do everything with one hand (pistol, writing, throwing) with right hand, and everything with two hands (long gun, batting, golf) left-handed, and am left eye dominant.

no head tilting or anything weird, just bring the handgun up in front of my left eye. i do close my right eye which i know isn't the best thing to do.

Tactics · Mar 29, 2017

Pistol Lefty with both eyes open. Rifle Right Handed.

I'm a Lefty with a dominant Right Eye. This is a great thread!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ToolAA · Mar 29, 2017

I just finished about a 30min dry fire session I put green tape over the right lens of my glasses to start getting used to the position. It helped a lot.

DC-W · Mar 29, 2017

ToolAA said:
I just finished about a 30min dry fire session I put green tape over the right lens of my glasses to start getting used to the position. It helped a lot.

GuitarmanNick · Mar 30, 2017

I developed left eye dominance after disease distorted the sight in my right eye. I can see out of it, but everything is a blur. It sure sucks when shooting my rifles, but when I shoot my pistols, not a problem at all.

Adapt, improvise, and overcome!

Jerry M · Mar 30, 2017

jrwhitt said:
I'm Right Handed and Left Eye Dominant.

I shoot pistol right handed just moving to sight with my left eye. I shoot long guns Left Handed and again sight with the left eye.
It becomes totally subconcious after a while.

If I can answer any further questions let me know.

My buddy does the same. Retrained himself to shoot a rifle and a shotgun left handed. He is a hell of a wing shot! Shoots his pistols right handed.

Good luck

Jerry

tennisdr · Mar 30, 2017

Extreemely left eye dominate but extreemely right handed. Never an issue with a pistol, just line up on left eye. I shoot skeet competitively and have a small sticker on my shooting glasses over my left eye that keeps me from seeing the end of my gun. I keep both eyes open and it works like a charm!

Questions and advice about eye dominance

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